Protozoa (n.)
"primordial or first-formed animals, cell-animals," 1828, from Modern Latin Protozoa, coined 1818 by German zoologist Georg August Goldfuss (1782-1848) from Greek prōtos "first" (see proto-) + zoia, plural of zoion "animal" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live"). Originally including sponges and corals; current sense is from 1845. Related: Protozoon (singular), also Protozoön; Protozoan.
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1838, in geology, in reference to rocks containing fossils of the earliest life on Earth, from proto- "early, first" + Greek zoe "life" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live") + -ic. Coined by British geologist Adam Sedgwick, who wrote in 1852, "I used the word Protozoic to prevent any wrangling about the words Cambrian and Silurian" [Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London].
In zoology by 1861, "of or pertaining to the Protozoa," from Protozoa + -ic. Alternative adjectives in the biological sense include Protozoan, Protozoal.
also *gweie-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to live."
It forms all or part of: abiogenesis; aerobic; amphibian; anaerobic; azo-; azoic; azotemia; bio-; biography; biology; biome; bionics; biopsy; biota; biotic; cenobite; Cenozoic; convivial; couch-grass; epizoic; epizoon; epizootic; macrobiotic; Mesozoic; microbe; Protozoa; protozoic; quick; quicken; quicksand; quicksilver; quiver (v.) "to tremble;" revive; survive; symbiosis; viable; viand; viper; vita; vital; vitamin; victuals; viva; vivace; vivacious; vivarium; vivid; vivify; viviparous; vivisection; whiskey; wyvern; zodiac; Zoe; zoetrope; zoic; zoo-; zoolatry; zoology; zoon; zoophilia; zoophobia; zooplankton.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit jivah "alive, living;" Old Persian *jivaka- "alive," Middle Persian zhiwak "alive;" Greek bios "one's life, course or way of living, lifetime," zoe "animal life, organic life;" Old English cwic, cwicu "living, alive;" Latin vivus "living, alive," vita "life;" Old Church Slavonic zivo "to live;" Lithuanian gyvas "living, alive," gyvata "(eternal) life;" Old Irish bethu "life," bith "age;" Welsh byd "world."
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updated on December 27, 2020
Dictionary entries near Protozoa
protoplanet
protoplasm
protostar
prototype
prototypical
Protozoa
protozoic
protract
protraction
protractive
protractor